Device for delaying the arming of combination automatic and semi-automatic fire-arms



g- 1965 P. G. BERETTA DEVICE FOR DELAYING THE ARMING OF COMBINATION AUTOMATIC AND SEMI-AUTOMATIC FIRE-ARMS Filed Dec. 9, 1965 ATTORN Y United States Patent 3,203,312 DEVECE FOR DELAYING THE ARMI'NG 0F COM- BINATION AUTOMATIC AND SEMI-AUTOMAT- IC FIRE-ARMS Pier Giuseppe Beretta, Gardone, Val Trornpia (Brescia), ltaly, assignor to Fabbrica dArmi P. Beretta S.p.'A., fiafdone, Val Trompia (Brescia), Italy, a company of ta y Filed Dec. 9, 1963, Ser. No. 328,857 Claims priority, application Italy, Dec. 13, 1%2, 24,352/62 2 Claims. (Cl. 89-129) There is the possibility that gas-operated fire-arms designed for semi-automatic operation, can be transformed into weapons susceptible of automatic operation.

In such a case there generally arises the inconvenience, that the firing rhythm assumed by the weapon transformed into an automatic one, proves to be exceedingly high and, consequently, that the shock and vibration becomes unbearable for both the weapon and the shooter.

From this arises the need of providing, in combination with the devices that transmit the pulse of the gases derived from the barrel, a mechanism adapted to slow down the action exerted upon the members which effect the loading and shooting of the weapon in such a manner as to obtain, through a reduction of the shooting speed (firing rhythm), a condition that insures regularity of operation as well as protecting the moving parts most subject to wear. This need is taken care of by the speedreducing (slowing-down) device made according to the invention described in the present application, which is applicable, for instance, to the semi-automatic rifle of the Garand cal. 30 M1 type used by the NATO troops, as well as to weapons derived therefrom. It consists in the introduction, into the arming rod of the gun, of a guide rod for the recovery spring, said guide rod being arranged in such a way as to allow a supplemental compression and expansion of the recovery spring, which by delaying the direct action upon the arming rod, extends the duration of the cycle of action of the latter, thereby reducing the automatic firing rhythm of the weapon.

The drawing accompanying the instant description illustrates the application of the invention, by way of example, to the arming rod of the above cited Garand calibre 30 M1 type rifle.

In the drawing:

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are fragmentary, longitudinal sectional views of a rifle operating rod and novel delay mechanism therefor made in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 showing the parts in the at-rest position; FIG. 2 illustrating what takes place upon firing; and FIG. 3 showing the parts after initiation of the return movement.

It is known that the arming rod of the Garand rifle (called the operating rod) consists of a tubular member inside which is housed a recovery spring. In FIG. 1 the tubular operating rod is denoted at 1. It receives on the piston 2, that constitutes its integral front head, the pulse exerted by the gases derived from the gun-barrel when the gun is fired, then the gases of firing drive the rod rearwardly compressing the recovery spring 3, which at the opposed end abuts against the fixed block 5 of the breech, and transmits the pulse received, to the closing and firing mechanisms of the weapon by means of the arming car riage 4 mechanically connected thereto. Said mechanisms are not represented in the drawing because Wellknown.

When said movement has been effected, the arming carriage stops, the recovery spring 3 expands again and 3,2fi33l2 Patented Aug. 31, 1965 drives the assembly back to the initial position (FIG. 1) from which a new cycle can start.

If the Garand rifle is to be transformed from semiautomatic to automatic operation, the necessity has appeared, because of the great stresses that occur within the weapon, to modify the original arming device in order to obtain a greater regularity in the behaviour of the recovery spring in the course of the successive movements of compression and of expansion to which it is subjected, as well as to reduce the firing-rate of the weapon to the great advantage of its regularity of operation.

The novel device added by the present invention to the original Garand arming rod (operating rod) consists in a guide rod which is placed inside the recover spring 3, said rod comprising two telescoping sections (6 and 7) arranged coaxially, of which the front section 6 is slidable in the rear section 7, which has a (hollow) tubular crosssection. The head or piston 8 of the front section 6 can contact the rear end or shank (rod) of the piston 2 that closes the front of the arming rod, while the rear section '7 seats against the fixed block 5 of the breech of the gun. FIGURES 1, 2, 3 illustrate what has been described. The head 3 with the respective section 6 constitutes an inertial mass proper.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the cartridge has been fired, the piston 2, having received the pulse of the gases derived from the barrel, imparts to the arming rod 1 a violent rearward motion, which compresses the spring 3 and moves the movable section 6 of the guide rod rearwardly into the tubular section '7, and effects stroke of the rod 1 towards the breech of the Weapon, thereby actuating the closing mechanism as well as the loading and firing mechanisms. This having been done, the rod 1 stops, according to the original Garand operating scheme, and the recovery spring 3, expanding again, then pushes the rod 1 forward into the position for starting a new cycle. With the application of the device of the present invention, the return of rod 1 to its starting position is delayed, since the front section 6 of the spring-guide continues by inertia (in proportion to weight) its travel rearwardly inside the section 7, after the arming carriage 4 has actuated the loading and firing mechanisms and has been stopped together with rod 1, and compresses, thereby, further the recovery spring, while at the same time it disengages piston 8 from contact with the rear end of the piston 2.

In that way the first delaying effect of the device is obtained.

This situation is illustrated by FIG. 2 in which a-b is, demonstratively, the interval created between the piston 2 and the head 8 of the spring-guide section 6, when the latter is in its rearmost position.

The second delaying effect occurs when, on exhaustion of the rearward movement (by inertia) of the section 6, the recovery spring 3 pushes said section forward, and the head 8 of the section, after traversing the interspace a-b, again contacts the rear end of the piston 2 and pushes the assembly of the arming rod into the starting position for starting a new cycle.

FIGURE 3 represents this situation and the delay, in the cycle, corresponds to the infinitesimal time employed by the head of the spring-guide to traverse the interval a-b that separates it from the piston-rod. The two above delaying effects are cumulative in operating cycle of the weapon, producing definitely the desired slowing-down of the firing-rate.

It should be noted that the application of the new device does not prejudice the operation of the gun, when it is to be used as a semi-automatic rifle.

'12 U I claim: 1. A cocking mechanism for a fire-arm that is operable selectively either automatically or semi-automatically, comprising (a) a reciprocable, tubular operating rod closed at its forward end and open at its rear end, and movable rearwardly by the gases created by firing the fire-arm,

(b)a telescopic guide rod mounted in said operating rod coaxially thereof, and having a rear stationary section and a forward movable section,

(c) means for holding the stationary section against rearward movement,

(d) means limiting the rearward travel of said operating rod upon firing after predetermined rearward travel of the operating rod,

(e) a coil spring mounted within said operating rod and surrounding at least part of said guide rod, and connected to said movable section constantly to urge said movable section into engagement with the closed end of said operating rod so that said movable section and operating rod travel together rearwardly until said operating rod reaches its rear limit position of travel, and so that said spring operates to return said operating rod to its foremost position,

10 into engagement with the closed end of said operating rod. 2. A cocking mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein (a) said coil spring surrounds both sections of said guide rod, 15 (b) said movable section has a head at its front end against which the front end of said spring seats, and (c) the rear end of said spring is fixed relative to said stationary section.

20 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,451,624 10/48 Loomis et al. 89-430 2,834,257 5/58 Garand 89131 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

FRED C. MATTERN, 111., Examiner. 

1. A COCKING MECHANISM FOR A FIRE-ARM THAT IS OPERABLE SELECTIVELY EITHER AUTOMATICALLY OR SEMI-AUTOMATICALLY, COMPRISING (A) A RECIPROCABLE, TUBULAR OPERATING ROD CLOSED AT ITS FORWARD END AND OPEN AT ITS REAR END, AND MOVABLE REARWARDLY BY THE GASES CREATD BY FIRING THE FIRE-ARM, (B) A TELESCOPIC GUIDE ROD MOUNTED IN SAID OPERATING ROD COAXIALLY THEREOF, AND HAVING A REAR STATIONARY SECTION AND A FORWARD MOVABLE SECTION, (C) MEANS FOR HOLDING THE STATIONARY SECTION AGAINST REARWARD MOVEMENT, (D) MEANS LIMITING THE REARWARD TRAVEL OF SAID OPERATING ROD UPON FIRING AFTER DETERMINED REARWARD TRAVEL TO THE OPERATING ROD, (E) A COIL SPRING MOUNTED WITHIN SAID OPERATING ROD AND SURROUNDING AT LEAST PART OF SAID GUIDE ROD, AND CONNECTED TO SAID MOVABLE SECTION CONSTANTLY TO URGE SAID MOVABLE SECTION INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CLOSED END OF SAID OPERATING ROD SO THAT SAID MOVABLE SECTION AND OPERATING ROD TRAVEL TOGETHER REARWARDLY UNTIL SAID OPERATING ROD REACHES ITS REAR LIMIT POSITION OF TRAVEL, AND SO THAT SAID SPRING OPERATES TO RETURN SAID OPERATING ROD TO ITS FOREMOST POSITION, (F) SAID MOVABLE SECTION BEING MOVABLE REARWARDLY IN SAID OPERATING ROD BY INERTIA AFTER SAID OPERATING ROD HAS BEEN STOPPED AT THE REARWARD LIMIT OF ITS TRAVEL, THEREBY EFFECTING DELAY IN THE FORWARD, RETURN MOVEMENT OF SAID OPERATING ROD UNTIL SAID MOVABLE SECTION HAS TRAVELED BY INERTIA, INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID OPERATING ROD, TO THE LIMIT OF REARWARD MOVEMENT PERMITTED BY SAID SPRING, AND UNTIL SAID MOVABLE SECTION HAS AGAIN BEEN MOVED FORWARDLY BY SAID SPRING INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CLOSED END OF SAID OPERATING ROD. 